Over recent years there has been widespread development of personal computers, and the industry has experienced a rather dramatic increase in the design, development and sale of computers which are portable. These portable computers are not significantly larger than small portable typewriters, and contain their own built-in central processing unit, memory, disk drives, keyboard, display and carrying handle. The display is typically a liquid crystal display contained on one side of a panel or lid which folds down flat on the upper surface of the keyboard to serve as a cover to protect the keyboard and display during storage and travel.
It is desirable that the display panel, including the hinging hardware, fold flush with the upper surface of the keyboard and this is usually accomplished by accommodating the display panel with a recess into which the upper surface of the keyboard fits.
It is essential that the display panel be securely locked to the keyboard for transportation. It is also desirable that the locking or latching device be substantially flush with the sides of the computer to eliminate any unwanted protrusions that not only interfere with ease of portability but also detract from the aesthetics of the computer. Prior attempts to reach these objectives have produced partly satisfactory latches but they are somewhat prone to inadvertent release because the locking action is not completely positive. For example, in the Paulson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,456, a locking mechanism is illustrated between the lid assembly and the keyboard that includes a linearly reciprocal hook-like lug in the lid and a cooperating undercut recess on the keyboard. The engaging faces on the hook lug and undercut recess are complementary but angled and thus tend to cam the lug out of the recess.
For ease of portability, it is also desirable to provide the portable computer with a handle assembly that is retractable so that when not in use can be retracted to improve overall aesthetics in the office environment. Prior attempts at retractable handle assemblies have resulted in handles which are difficult to extend and retract.
It is a primary object of the present invention to ameliorate the problems noted above in latching and retractable handle assemblies for portable computers.